Onne Van der Wal

Onne Van der Wal is an award winning nautical photographer whose work is recognized and coveted by yachting enthusiasts worldwide. Once a professional yacht racer, Onne found his enthusiasm for photography whilst competing in the Whitbread Around the World Race in 1981-82. Using every opportunity to capture the incredible action of an ocean passage, he specializes in dangling high atop a mast some 100 feet above the rising swell or at the end of a spinnaker pole. With these dramatic angles and unusual positions his successful marine photography career was launched.

His photography is well known for its unique composition, brilliant colors, tack sharp details and his attention to the technicalities of digital photography and now videography, which is his latest passion. Onne owns a lovely studio and gallery at Bannister’s Wharf, where he displays an extensive collection of fine art photography and stock photography. Onne’s library holds images from around the globe and features the most beautiful classic yachts, the sleekest racing boats, and secluded beaches on tropical locations to the icy reaches of the North and South Poles.

Onne is available for nautical photography assignments during regattas, passages, for personal usage or for a boat brochure. He also offers on the water photography workshops and lectures where he explains technical tricks while working in the challenging marine environment, optimized digital workflow and processing raw files and the basics of digital photography.

These workshops put aspiring photographers right in the action and are offered in the winter and summer months. As one Captain told us: “Few yachting photographers capture the action, art and adventure of sailing quite like Onne Van der Wal, you can still see him hanging off a mark rounding in the waters capturing amazing images during regattas.”